1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a juvenile safety car seat, and more specifically , it relates to the structure of a child and junior seat comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion for supporting a juvenile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A juvenile safety car seat fixed with a seat belt provided on a car for supporting a juvenile (including a neonate, a baby, an infant and a schoolchild) with a safety belt provided on the juvenile safety car seat is generally referred to as a baby and child seat, while another juvenile safety car seat fixed to a seat of a car along with a juvenile with a seat belt provided on the car is generally referred to as a junior seat or a booster seat. Still another juvenile safety car seat referred to as a child and junior seat is also developed as that having both supporting methods.
While the baby and child seat is widely developed in general, school-age children are also obliged to use the juvenile safety car seat according to the most recent laws and regulations, and it is urgently necessary to develop a child and junior seat also directed to school-age children with higher safety and comfortableness (or comfort).
An object of the present invention is to provide a juvenile safety car seat excellent in safety and comfortableness.
A juvenile safety car seat according to the present invention, comprising a seat portion and a backrest portion for supporting a juvenile in a car, comprises a pair of side guards outwardly movable provided on both sides of the aforementioned backrest portion for protecting the head region and the shoulder regions of the aforementioned juvenile.
According to the aforementioned structure of the present invention, a support space can be brought into the optimum state in response to growth of the head region and the shoulder regions of the juvenile due to the provision of the outwardly movable side guards. Consequently, the juvenile safety car seat can be improved in safety and comfortableness.
According to the present invention, the aforementioned side guards are preferably provided to be capable of increasing the distances between the side guards and the aforementioned shoulder regions of the aforementioned juvenile while keeping the distances between the side guards and the aforementioned head region of the aforementioned juvenile substantially constant. As a specific mode, the aforementioned side guards are so mounted that upper end regions are rotatable with respect to the aforementioned backrest portion for outwardly opening lower end regions of the aforementioned side guards.
From early childhood to school age, the shoulder portions (the breadth of the shoulders) of the juvenile grow at a higher degree than the head portion. Therefore, the support space for the juvenile can be optimally changed by providing the lower end regions of the side guards coming into contact with the shoulder portions to be outwardly openable, thereby further improving the safety and comfortableness of the juvenile safety car seat.
According to the present invention, the aforementioned side guards are preferably provided with an interlocking link mechanism for simultaneously enabling adjustment of the interval or spacing distance between the side guards. According to the present invention, the aforementioned interlocking link mechanism preferably includes a mechanism for outwardly opening only lower end regions of the aforementioned side guards.
The side guards can be simultaneously adjusted by employing this mechanism, thereby improving handleability of the juvenile safety car seat.
According to the present invention, the aforementioned side guards preferably have upper side guards and lower side guards respectively.
A proper space responsive to the shapes of the head region and the shoulder regions of the juvenile can be defined due to this structure, whereby the juvenile safety car seat can protect the juvenile in a more preferable state.
According to the present invention, the juvenile safety car seat is preferably so provided that the quantity of outward movement of the aforementioned lower side guards is greater than the quantity of outward movement of the aforementioned upper side guards.
From early childhood to school age, the shoulder portions (the breadth of the shoulders) of the juvenile grow at a higher degree than the head portion. Therefore, the support space for the juvenile can be optimally changed in response to the growth of the juvenile for further improving the safety and comfortableness of the juvenile safety car seat.
According to the present invention, the aforementioned upper side guards and the aforementioned lower side guards are preferably provided with interlocking link mechanisms for simultaneously enabling adjustment of the intervals or spacing distances between the upper side guards and the lower side guards respectively. Thus, adjustability for the intervals between the side guards can be improved.
According to the present invention, the juvenile safety car seat preferably further comprises a vertical position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of the aforementioned backrest portion. The support space can be brought into the optimum state in response to growth of the height of the juvenile by providing this mechanism.
According to the present invention, the aforementioned vertical position adjusting mechanism preferably includes a plate fixed to the aforementioned seat portion and provided to upwardly extend, a guide region provided on the aforementioned backrest portion for guiding the aforementioned plate so that the aforementioned backrest portion is vertically slidable along the aforementioned plate and a fixing device for fixing a selected vertical position of the aforementioned backrest portion. The aforementioned guide region has a receiving space for receiving the aforementioned plate in the range of the thickness of the aforementioned backrest portion.
The backrest portion is vertically slidable along the plate due to this structure, so that the vertical position of the backrest portion can be readily adjusted.
According to the present invention, the aforementioned fixing device preferably includes an elastic member provided on either one of the aforementioned plate and the aforementioned guide region and a plurality of engaging regions vertically provided on the other one of the plate and the guide region for engaging with the aforementioned elastic member.
Thus, the elastic member engages with any of the engaging regions on the basis of the elastic force thereof for fixing the plate and the guiding region, thereby fixing the vertical position of the backrest portion. When adjusting the vertical position of the backrest portion, the engaging regions are moved against the elastic force of the elastic member so that the elastic member successively engages with the engaging regions, whereby the backrest portion can be fixed on a desired vertical position.
According to the present invention, regions coming into contact with the aforementioned head region of the aforementioned juvenile and regions coming into contact with the aforementioned shoulder regions are visually partitioned in the aforementioned side guards. Thus, the juvenile safety car seat can provide a sense of security to the user, thereby improving comfortableness for the user.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.